The role of the airway epithelium in modulatory airway inflammation has been studied. It was found that TNF-alpha and IL-1 Beta are capable of stimulating gene expression of IL-6, IL-8, and G-CSF in a human bronchial cell line. Ongoing studies include the modulation of TNF and IL1 receptor gene expression by cytokines or glucocorticosteroids. This work's importance is that it expands knowledge of mechanisms of lung injury, which may enable better therapy of a wide variety of diseases.